“Get the most out of a place, I’ll probably never be back to this place again in my entire life. And also can a place be the same even in a few days from now?”

I open the door. All the eyes are on me, like I just entered someone else’s home during Christmas dinner. Just a few moments and a smile and a loud hello put me in place.

It’s not my first time here, and at every visit I feel more at ease and a citizen of this small world inside the world. Sometimes it can be a warm blanket in front of a fireplace during a snowy day, and other times an energetic ride on a rollercoaster. Like the herbal medicines filling the drawers on the wall, this place has a remedy for whatever you walk in carrying.

In a second I find myself joining a game of Mario Party, where every prompt on screen is in Chinese. Why not! By the second drink, they handed me some beef soup and offered me some hot pot they were cooking. It’s like I’m with friends enjoying a Friday night where the rain decides you just have to stay home. Last time I’ve been here someone was singing while playing guitar with the whole room singing along. Every night I’ve stopped by, something unexpected happened. And tonight is no exception.

My head starts to feel heavy from the long day and all the rain that poured on me during a walking tour in Kaohsiung.

Kaohsiung? Yeah Kaohsiung.

The cool thing of solo traveling is that I can decide to go back on my own steps to spend more time somewhere I left a few days ago.

And this brings me back to the opening of this missive. Something I wrote on my notes when leaving Tainan for Kaohsiung. I thought I wouldn’t be here again. But just before leaving for South Korea, I’m back to Tainan. And it’s a new experience on its own. Because, as Heraclitus said, you can't step into the same river twice.

I say goodbye to the whole room, they’ve already closed the shutter. This time might be really the last time. At least for this trip.

Till the next missive,

— M